As Emma experiences the historic events enveloping the city, she trains her perceptive eye on the people surrounding her: a newfound Cuban friend who joins the covert anti-Castro training brigade; a gambling racketeer who poses a grave threat to Paul; and a former madam, still in her twenties, who becomes both Emma's obsession and her alter ego. Like a complicated dance that keeps sweeping her off balance, Emma's life is suddenly filled with divided loyalties, shady dealings, romantic and professional setbacks, and, throughout, her adamant determination to remain the protagonist of her own quest.